You Are Not Cursed

Chapter 4: First day of last year

CHAPTER 4: FIRST DAY OF LAST YEAR

The remainder of my summer was spend with Joyce and her friends, who, I suppose, had become my friends as well. The plans we made the day we met to go to the beach had -- thankfully -- been rescheduled since it ended up raining the day we planned to go. The rain didn't make the day all that colder than any other since it was a summer shower but we all agreed that the rain and the beach just didn't go together. When we did go I was pretty successful in covering my scars by wearing a long sleeve top (one like surfers sometimes do) and shorts that reached my knees. When it came to hiding the rest of my legs I either sat with them folded beneath me or with a towel spread over them; to prevent myself from overheating I sometimes stood in the water never going deeper than where the water reached half way up my calf and when I was on the shore I sat beneath a large umbrella that provided me with welcomed shade. Luckily, everything else we did to pass by the summer didn't involve the beach and so I didn't have to worry any more than usual about covering my scars. We usually hung out at Joyce's house since she didn't have any siblings and her mum worked most days and some nights. We went to the movies once and out for lunch one afternoon but we mostly stuck to doing things that didn't require money.

The weekend before school was scheduled to start students were instructed to visit the school to get their class schedule and textbooks; however, that didn't seem to apply to me. I went with Joyce and Kris that day expecting to get my schedule with everyone else but when we got there administration told me they still hadn't finalized my schedule (something about me being a transfer student and there being a problem with my credits being transferred over from my previous school). Instead I would have to come to the office the morning of our first day of classes and it would ready by then. While I was slightly annoyed as it meant I couldn't compare my schedule along with the others it wasn't the end of the world either.

When the morning of finally came I couldn't help but feel nervous, it was a new place after all and my brain had a habit of visiting the worst case scenarios first. I'd spent the whole night going over how horrible today could go and questioning why I do this to myself. My movements were sluggish as I pulled my t shirt over my head and dropped it on the bathroom floor before stepping under the shower I had started a moment ago. There was no need to shower, I had last night, but I was hoping it would give me a little life, a little more awareness and alertness. I was still tired when I got stepped out seven minutes later. Wrapping a towel around my body I used a smaller towel to dry the nap of my neck and the tips of my hair that managed to get wet despite the small pony tail I had put it up in. Going through my usual morning routine allowed me to put my mind on auto pilot which didn't help with the lack of awareness problem I was having. Eventually I crossed the hallway from the bathroom to my bedroom so I could get dressed. Pulling a light blue and white horizontally stripped long sleeve shirt off the hanger and over my head I turned to look through my drawer of pants. I tucked a small portion of the front of my shirt into the blue jeans I grabbed before tightening an orange brown leather belt around my waist. As I moved around the house getting dressed, packing my backpack, and finally getting some coffee I felt a little more awake by the second -- the coffee definitely helped with that.

Finally I was climbing into my car, turning on my music, and heading to school with still enough time to arrive early to get my schedule.

There was a parking lot for students directly across from the school but I drove past it and parked two blocks down from the school instead. My hope was that the small walk would calm my heart that had begun to race as soon as the school came into view. It was weird, I had been here two days ago with Joyce and Kris but I suppose it was different facing the school alone when it was at full capacity. I haven't been the new student since I was nine and that went horrible -- of course that was probably just a mishap that only happens to one in 20 new kids but after that I couldn't help but worry that I would manage to make a fool of my myself once again. I suppose it did help though knowing that I had Joyce and the others.

Walking into the school I already knew where to go so I thankfully didn't have to worry about getting lost just yet. When I entered the office the receptionist was on the phone so I awkwardly stood in front of her desk just waiting. Thankfully her call didn't last too long.

"What can I do for you dear?" She asks after hanging up.

"Um, I'm Charlie McCall, the transfer student, I was told to come here for my schedule," I explain really hoping that she was prepared for me and I didn't just confuse her; she wasn't the same lady that I spoke to a couple days ago.

"Ah yes, I have your schedule right over here." Still sitting her wheeled chair she pushed it to the side to reach a folder on the far corner of her desk before returning to her original spot. She placed the folder on the table so it was facing me before opening it. "This here is your schedule and if you flip it over you'll find your schedule for next semester. Here is your locker number and combo," she adds removing the sticking note from the inside of the folder and placing it on my schedule before handing it to me.

"And my student ID?" I ask recalling how Joyce and the other's got plastic cards with their names and student number on it.

"You'll have to come in at the end of the week and get that, there was a mix up when transferring your credits and we needed to create a new student number for you, sorry about that hun," she explained genuinely looking sorry for the inconvenience. "But you can go to the library at any time today to get your textbook you don't need your student ID for that."

"Alright, thank you," I reply. When she confirmed that I had no more questions she sent me on my way. Stepping out of the office I paused just a few steps down the hall off to the side so I was out of the way as I glanced over my schedule. Math, spare period, lunch, biology, English. I try to think back to when Joyce and the others were comparing their schedules to see if I could remember if any of theirs align with mine. Math first period...

Pulling my phone from my back pocket and text Joyce.

To Joyce:

Do you have math first period?

I began to head up to the third floor since that's where my first period was as I waited for a reply. My phone buzzed as I reached the second floor.

From Joyce:

Ya. You too? I've got it with Mrs. Brown

I glance back down at my schedule for confirmation before texting back.

To Joyce:

Me too I guess I'll see you soon

The warning bell rang just a minute before I found the right class room; Joyce was already there sitting at a desk in the front row near the door I came through. Her face lit up when she noticed me, a smile replacing her previously bored expression. I slide into the desk next to hers as they were all paired off as she said teasingly,

“Glad you could find the class in time.” I playfully rolled my eyes as I left my schedule atop my desk while going into my backpack to grab my things. “This your schedule?” She asked already pulling it closer to her to look it over before I could even hum in confirmation, it was obvious she didn’t really need an answer to her question.

“Oh you have a free period lucky, they make the semester so much easier,” she commented before falling silent, looking up in thought. “I think you have third period with Julien, I’m pretty sure he has biology in the afternoon too but check with him at lunch,” she tells me.

“No more with you?” I ask, attempting to hide the disappointment I felt.

“Sadly not,” she replied and pushed the piece of paper back over towards me as the late bell rang and our teacher moved to begin class.

Mrs. Brown went over the class rules and course syllabus but didn’t bother to actually start teaching us anything today so we were left with a little bit of time at the end of class to chat with those around us.

“Where is the library?” I ask Joyce. “I was thinking of getting my textbooks during spare since I don’t have anything else to do.”

“It’s on the second floor, I’m headed down there next so I can point you in the right way,” she suggests and I nod as she continues, “Most people spent their spare periods in the cafeteria or outside if it’s nice.”

“Not the library?” I asked, surprise etched in my voice. At my old school most students spent their free period working in the library.

“I mean some do but I find it a little creepy, it’s quiet and empty in there; most people hang out in the cafeteria cause it’s got lots of windows so it feels bright and open,” she explains and I can’t help but wonder what about someplace being quiet and empty made it unwelcoming, being alone and undisturbed sounded like the best study environment to me but I guess not everyone learned or even focused the same way. “Speaking of the cafeteria just go there at lunch that’s where we all meet up to eat; you’ll find one of us there and if not just sit at a table and whoever arrives next will join you.”

“Where is the cafeteria?”

“Kris and I failed you,” she declared dramatically, “We should have given you the full tour when we were here on the weekend.”

“That’s alright.”

“You know when you turn left coming in the school to go to the office? Just go right instead and you’ll find the main entrance to the cafeteria, there are a couple doors into the cafeteria but that’s probably the easiest for you to find.”

“Sounds easy enough, thanks,” I reply, my last syllable cut off by the bell ringing.

“Right off we go,” Joyce says with a grin and we slip out of the door before it becomes congested with everyone else. We head to the nearest staircase and head down; at the bottom Joyce leads us to the right before pausing off to the side so she can tell me how to get to the library. Once she was sure I knew where to go we said our goodbyes and parted since her class was in the opposite direction.

I headed down the hall and turned right at the end, entering a short hallway. There was a doorway on the right just a couple steps down this shirt hallway that opened into a set of stairs but I continued past that to the double doors at the end since Joyce said those were the doors to the library. One door was already propped open so I didn’t have to worry about making too much noise while opening and closing it.

Instantly I understood what Joyce meant when she said the cafeteria was brighter than the library but the slight dimness to the lighting in here wasn’t something I minded; compared to the bright, white LED’s found everywhere in the school the muted, yellow tinged lights of the library were welcomed, they weren’t so harsh. But the actual lighting of the library wasn’t just what made it darker than the rest of the school; visually it was a sharp contrast to the rest of the building. Everywhere else in the school the floors were varying shades of grey, walls white and lockers a medium, muted blue color while in the library the floors were covered in dark, outdated, maroon carpet matching the mahogany furniture and bookshelves. I couldn’t even say what color the walls were because where there was a wall there was a bookcase to cover it; truthfully I was a little blown aware by the sheer amount of books (whether they were new or old, good quality or not aside). Joyce was right about the library being empty though, as I moved through the large room curiously exploring, I must have seen a maximum of 12 students, a couple pairs here and there but most of them sat alone working. It didn’t feel empty though, I felt like I was surrounded by everything the library itself contained. I guess Joyce and I had a different definition of creeping because nothing I saw felt the way she described it. Before actually looking around in here I had been concerned for the state of the library based on her description alone. But being alone and enjoying that solitude wasn’t something for everyone, I just happened to be one of the people who embraced it.

In a back corner, this section of books labelled fiction, I took my time glancing over the book spines, tilting my head just enough to read the titles. Some piqued my interested and after a while I found myself tugging at the top corner of a book to slip it off the shelf from its place between two others. Flipping the book over in my hands I read the synopsis on the back before bringing it with me over to the nearest table.

From this corner of the library, hidden behind rows and rows of bookshelves I was completely alone, away from those who did occupy the library.